The journal of the Conservative History Group | Summer 2004 | £7.50 Conservative History Journal ANDREW ROBERTS A TORY HISTORIAN SPEAKS OUT GEOFFREY HICKS LORD DERBY’S SHADOWY FOREIGN SECRETARY MARK COALTER DISRAELI’S 1872 BLUEPRINT FOR ELECTORAL SUCCESS BENDOR GROSVENOR SIR STAFFORD NORTHCOTE: THE MAN WHO WOULD BE PRIME MINISTER HARSHAN KUMARASINGHAM THE POLITICAL DEMISE OF NEVILLE CHAMBERLAIN THATCHER NORMAN TEBBIT and GEOFFREY HOWE on the Iron Lady’s legacy twentyfive years since she swept to power Plus: Helen Szamuely on Margaret Thatcher’s speeches; John Barnes on political party colours; Nicholas Hillman on Thatcher’s musical legacy; Mark Garnett reviews four new books on Michael Oakeshott and Ronald Porter reviews Anne de Courcy’s biography of Diana Mosley Contents Conservative History Journal The Conservative History Journal is published twice Contents yearly by the Conservative History Group ISSN 14798026 Definitely not a farewell 1 Iain Dale Advertisements To advertise in the next issue Good try, but must do better 2 call Helen Szamuely on 07733 018999 Helen Szamuely Editorial/Correspondence A Tory historian speaks out 3 Contributions to the Journal – letters, articles and Helen Szamuely talks to Andrew Roberts book reviews are invited. The Journal is a refereed publication; all articles submitted will be reviewed Thatcher 7 and publication is not guaranteed. Contributions Norman Tebbit and Geoffrey Howe on the Iron Lady’s legacy should be emailed or posted to the addresses below. All articles remain copyright © their authors Hilda’s Cabinet Band 9 Nicholas Hillman Subscriptions/Membership An annual subscription to the Conservative History A strangely familiar voice 12 Group costs £15. Copies of the Journal are included Helen Szamuely in the membership fee. The political demise of Neville Chamberlain 13 The Conservative History Group Harshan Kumarasingham Chairman: Keith Simpson MP Deputy Chairman: Professor John Charmley Capturing the middle ground: Director: Iain Dale Disraeli’s 1872 Blueprint for electoral success 17 Treasurer: John Strafford Mark Coalter Secretary: Martin Ball Membership Secretary: Peter Just Lord Derby’s shadowy Foreign Secretary 22 Journal Editors: John Barnes & Helen Szamuely Geoffrey Hicks Committee: The man who would be Prime Minister: Christina Dykes Sir Stafford Northcote Bart 24 Lord Norton of Louth Bendor Grosvenor Lord Brooke Jonathan Collett Party colours 27 Simon Gordon John Barnes Mark Garnett Ian Pendlington Book Reviews David Ruffley MP Mark Garnett on four new books about Michael Oakshott 30 Quentin Davies MP William Dorman Diana Mosley by Anne de Courcy 31 Graham Smith reviewed by Ronald Porter Jeremy Savage Lord Henley William McDougall Tricia Gurnett Conservative History Group PO Box 42119 London SW8 1WJ Telephone: 07768 254690 Email: [email protected] Website: www.conservativehistory.org.uk www.conservativehistory.org.uk Definitely not a farewell Iain Dale fter a mere two isues I have decided Conservative Candidate in a mock election at my to step down as co-editor of the High School in Essex and romped home with a 27% Conservative History Journal but I majority over....the National Front! Margaret am delighted that Helen Szamuely Thatcher inspired me to get involved in politics. In A has agreed to step into the breach. her day we used to win elections almost at will. I She will bring a degree of thoroughness and histori- remember what it was like standing on people's cal perspective which I could never match. While I doorsteps knowing that what I was doing was helping shall remain Director of the CHG I must devote my her retain power. It's that kind of pride which we time now to my business and, perhaps more impor- Conservatives now have to instill into our party tantly, to winning back North Norfolk at the next workers up and down the country. They have to know election. This issue of the magazine is particularly that Michael Howard and candidates like me are not Iain Dale is the important as it marks the 25th anniversary of the only worth campaigning for but, once we are suc- Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman election of the Thatcher Government in May 1979. I cessful, we will do justice to the legacy which for North Norfolk. Email remember it especially well as I stood as the Margaret Thatcher has left us. him on [email protected]. Conservative History Group Party Conference Fringe William Hague will speak on William Pitt the Younger Monday 4 October 17.45–19.00 Purbeck Bar in the Bournemouth International Conference Centre Conservative History Journal | issue 3 | Summer 2004 | 1 Good try, but must do better Helen Szamuely t is not, perhaps, the most auspicious way to events and the theme of Churchill’s government is start one’s stint as co-editor of this Journal, taken up by Ronald Porter, if somewhat obliquely, in having to apologize for the issue’s late appear- his review of the latest biography of Diana Mosley. ance. All I can say in my self-defence is that A characteristically entertaining piece by the co-edi- I the last few months have been a steep learning tor of this Journal, John Barnes, deals with the impor- curve. However, that is all behind me and I hope that tant but somewhat neglected subject of party colours. the quality of this and future issues will live up to the Conservative history has to look beyond the twen- excellent reputation the Conservative History Journal tieth century and there is a section in this issue on deservedly acquired under Iain Dale’s editorship. Disraeli, another great Conservative Prime Minister Though a couple of months late we are celebrating and two of his colleagues. In future editions we hope Helen Szamuely is the new in this issue the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first to cover many other aspects of Conservative and Tory co-editor of the Conservative Thatcher government and we decided that the best history and historiography, going back certainly to the History Journal. Email her way to do so would be to ask two of her colleagues, eighteenth but, even, the seventeenth century. on [email protected]. Lord Howe and Lord Tebbit, to give us their views on We hope to write about Conservative political the phenomenon of Thatcherism. We are proud to thought as in the review of several books on Michael present their insight along with a couple of other arti- Oakeshott and we shall have entertaining and, who cles that cover other aspects of the subject. knows, perhaps slightly scurrillous pieces about Tory The fascinating, entertaining and instructive inter- and Conservative politicians, as well as forgotten or view with Andrew Roberts, one of our leading histo- little known aspects of party history. We have great rians, will, we hope be the first of a whole series of plans to expand our subject matter to include subjects interviews on the subject of Conservative or Tory his- to do with Conservative history in the United States tory. Roberts, a widely respected historian and a bril- and the Commonwealth countries. liant wordsmith, is also a supporter of the The next issue will appear at the end of September Conservative History Group and of this Journal. - timing will be constrained by the Party Conference From the successful to the unsuccessful twentieth - and thereafter the Journal will be published twice century Prime Minister. May also saw the anniveras- yearly at the end of March and September. We are ry of the fall of Chamberlain’s government and with it looking for contributions, articles, ideas, suggestions. the destruction of his political reputation. We have an The Conservative History Journal had a great start. article from an historian in New Zealand on those After a slight hiccup it will have a great future. The Conservative History Group As the Conservative Party regroups after two general election defeats, learning from history is perhaps more vital than ever, We formed the Conservative History Group in the Autumn of 2002 to promote the discussion and debate of all aspects of Conservative history. We have organised a wide-ranging programme of speaker meetings in our first year and with the bi-annual publication of the Conservative History Journal, we hope to provide a forum for serious and indepth articles on Conservative history, biographies of leading and more obscure Conservative figures, as well as book reviews and profiles. For an annual subscription of only £15 you will receive invites to all our events as well as complimentary copies of the Conservative History Journal twice a year. We very much hope you will want to join us and become part of one of the Conservative Party's most vibrant discussion groups. Please fill in and return this form if you would like to join the Conservative History Group Name ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Email ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Send your details with your subscription of £15 to Conservative History Group, PO Box 42119, London SW8 1WJ Or you can join online at www.politicos.co.uk 2| Conservative History Journal | issue 3 | Summer 2004 HS: Andrew, thank you very much for agreeing to this interview. To start with, let’s go back to basics, as a cer- A Tory historian tain Conservative Prime Minister once said. AR: You’re right to say that he was a speaks . Conservative Prime Minister but he was not in any sense a Tory Prime Minister. In the first of a new series of interviews with HS: That is very true, of course. Let’s say a Prime Minister who led the Conservative historians Helen Szamuely Conservative Party, though I suppose meets Andrew Roberts we could quibble about that as well. AR: I think the word “leadership” is Andrew Roberts is one of the new insists that there is no such thing as a something I would pick you up on.